Baker City council lets petition process move forward after hours of public comment on Main Street restriping

Baker City — The Baker City Council heard sustained public comment on Jan. 13 over a proposal to reconfigure Main Street from four lanes to three. Petitioners delivered a petition to the city on Friday seeking voter approval before any restriping, and the council voted to let the petition process run rather than adopt the project at this meeting.

Petitioners and opponents urged the council to put the matter before voters. John Jeffries, who addressed the council early in the public-comment period, said the decision to reconfigure “affects all Bakerites” and argued citizens should have a direct vote. Several speakers cited past projects—most notably changes on Campbell Street—as a reason to require broader community approval.

Supporters made a safety and livability case for lane reduction. Mark Spindle said he frequently walks downtown with his young children and described multiple near-miss incidents; Matt Kraybacher, who identified himself as an avid cyclist, said he often avoids Main Street because he must “own the lane” and advocated for bike lanes and shorter pedestrian crossings. Deborah Wessler, a Main Street resident, called restriping a “time sensitive, cheap fix” that would slow traffic and protect older residents.

Council discussion focused largely on process and funding. Kyle Thurman asked whether delaying the project to a May or November ballot would jeopardize ODOT funding that staff described as likely to cover a substantial portion of striping costs. City staff and council said timing and eligibility for that state funding were unclear; the transcript records repeated uncertainty about whether delaying action would forfeit the grant.

Two competing actions were taken. One council member moved to adopt the restriping project immediately (speaker identified in the record as the council member who moved it); that motion failed for lack of a second. The council then approved a motion, moved by Dona Roode and seconded by Councilor Coles, to allow the petition process to proceed and to defer a council vote until the petition’s status and timing are resolved.

What happens next: Petitioners must collect and validate signatures; if validated, the item will be placed on either the May or November ballot depending on timing and certification requirements. Council members said they would revisit project funding and scheduling after the petition process concludes.

Quotes: “We, the people, desire to express our opinions not only vocally, but to communicate through the actual process of voting,” John Jeffries said. “I fully support bike lanes on Main Street,” Matt Kraybacher said. Mayor (unnamed) explained that the petition’s delivery changed the council’s options and that staff had met with petitioners earlier the same day.

Procedural note: The council approved the consent agenda and moved to the next items after deciding to defer action on Main Street. The petition and its validation timeline will determine whether the city adopts the restriping now or moves the question to voters.